Wednesday, November 2, 2005

For the first time in about 15 years, Laurette & I didn't really do anything about Hallowe'en costumes this year. Our two older kids are teenagers and don't trick-or-treat any more, and our youngest dressed up as an 80's girl and went to a party.

It's a bit melancholic, since I really liked that stuff.

And that put me in mind of other things we used to do with our kids, but don't any more, like read to them at bedtime.

So I'm cheering myself up a little by lising some of the kids' books I liked best. I don't know whether these were the kids' favorites, but they were my favorites.

A great one for fall: The Ghost-Eye Tree by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambaud, Illustrated by Ted Rand. I love the liveliness and innocence of Rand's illustrations. Like a lot of great kids' books, not much really happens . A brother and sister go on an errand and have to pass a spooky tree, but it's full of love, heart, and humor. (Honorable mention by the same guys: Barn Dance.)

Also good for fall: John Brown, Rose, and the Midnight Cat. A story of an old woman's serendipidous relationship with a cat. (But aren't all relationships with cats seredipendous?) This is really Laurette's favorite, as she's more of a cat person than I.

For the really cold weather: Up North in Winter. A workingman in the Iron Range misses his Friday night ride home from work, and has to walk across a frozen lake to his just-barely-making-ends-meet family. They all have a surprising encounter with an apparently frozen fox. A big warm-fuzzy.

Also for winter, The Mitten by Jan Brett. Brett's intricate illustrations are always pleasing, and her skill finds its best medium in this folktale about animals trying to keep warm.

I'm out of time, though there are lots more I could list. Add favorites at will.